1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector socket.
2. Prior Art
This type of an optical connector socket is provided at a device for outputting and/or inputting a digital signal such as a stationary-type DVD, TV, STB (set top box: an adapter device for a satellite broadcast), CD, MD, amplifier or the like. Further, it has recently been used as an input/output terminal for computer communication using an optical fiber.
Conventional this type of optical connector sockets are those disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-131564 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-201663. These optical connector sockets have a body provided with an insertion section having a socket-side optical device at the backside and a shutter for approximately closing the insertion section of the body. The aforesaid shutter is attached to the body so as to be capable of opening and closing the insertion section. This shutter aims mainly to prevent a dust or the like from getting into the insertion section of the body.
However, the above-mentioned conventional optical connector socket has the following problems.
Specifically, the shutter of these optical connector socket is attached on, the front surface of the body so as to be displaced inwardly of the body by pushing the optical connector plug into the insertion section, so that the dimension of the used shutter is slightly smaller than the dimension of the opening section of the insertion section. Therefore, in a so-called two-way optical connector having a light-emitting device and light-receiving device as a socket-side optical device, light from the light-emitting device is likely to leak to the outside. Since a disorder such as a damage in retina or the like is likely to occur when a man looks the light from the light-emitting device in the eye, the optical connector socket is attached such that the opening section is directed diagonally downward because a safety takes priority over the difficulty in inserting the optical connector plug.
Further, there is an optical connector socket having no shutter. In this case, a cap is fitted to the opening section of the insertion section for preventing a light leakage and intrusion of dust or the like. However, this cap is small, so that it may sometimes be lost. Moreover, infants are likely to mistakenly drink the cap.
Additionally, during a check of electrical equipment to which this optical connector socket is installed, for example, during a check of a set top box, the configuration in which the cap is fitted to the optical connector socket requires an operation of pulling out the cap for inserting the optical connector plug, and then, inserting the cap into the optical connector socket.